Obesity is a nutritional and metabolic disease connected with massive overweight, which is characterized by an above-normal increase of body fat causing pathological effects. Obesity frequently appears in industrialized countries, in particular under living conditions which are characterized by little physical activity and at the same time by an abundance of food. The main reasons are overeating and lack of exercise, socio-cultural and genetic factors. Obesity may occur as the result of other diseases such as metabolic diseases. Obesity is also described as a consequence of adverse reactions to medicinal products or as caused by prenatal factors, the food quality or the sleep habits.
The current therapy is largely restricted to a sustainable change of the eating behavior and physical activity, the use of psychotherapy as well as the inclusion of the partners and family.
Nevertheless, in particular in the industrialized countries still an increase of obesity can be observed. For this reason there is a need for new therapeutic approaches and in particular medicinal products by means of which obesity can be prevented or treated in a targeted manner.
People with heart failures or cardiac insufficiencies, respectively, have an extremely high activity of the NADPH-dependent oxygenase (NOX). Under these conditions this hyperactive enzyme produces large amounts of superoxide anion molecules (O2.−). (O2.−) as well as other harmful forms of oxygen are summarized by the term “reactive oxygen species” (ROS). This enduring increase of the intracellular (O2.−) results in a growth of the oxidative stress in the cardiac muscle cells of the affected patients. This causes an apoptosis of the cardiac muscle cells.
The currently used medicinal products of choice for the treatment of NADPH superoxide anion associated cardiovascular diseases, such as the congestive cardiac insufficiency, are ACE blockers, AT1 antagonists, beta blockers, diuretics, aldosterone antagonists or cardiac glycosides.
Despite of intensive researches the congestive cardiac insufficiency is one of the most common internal diseases with an estimated number of more than 100 millions of affected people in Europe. Cardiac insufficiency is one of the most frequent consultation issues in Germany in the general medical practice and the most common reason for a stationary hospital admission.
For this reason there is a need for new therapeutic concepts and medicinal products by means of which NADPH superoxide anion associated cardiovascular diseases can be prevented or treated in a targeted manner.